Moonacre Maddness
by magisak1617
Summary: Lillian Ella Merryweather had been called a freak her entire life. Her mother died when she was 9, and after that she became firey and headstrong. Her father dies 6 years later, and she feels nothing. When she is shipped off to lie in Moonacre Valley with an uncle she doesn't know, a little bit of magic comes back to the valley. Can Lillian, a freak, save the valley from the curse?
1. Carriage Ride

I am not a freak. My nannies said I was, the schoolchildren I knew said I was, even my father said I was on a few occasions. So yes, I like to wear men's clothing. Dresses never really cut it for me. They didn't allow any freedom of movement and they pinched you. Men's clothing allowed you to breathe.

Another thing, it is not freaky for a woman to learn to defend herself. I might have taken it a bit too far, but I needed to know. I wanted to know. And I learned. The nanny that year must have had a lot of problems to deal with. Maybe that's why she left.

All this had started 6 years ago, when I was 9. Mum died, and my feminine side died with her. I didn't know how to act once she was gone, she had been close to me. Father's business has started up soon after we buried her, and I didn't see him very often after that. I took matters into my own hands.

The last 'freaky' thing about me is apparently my appearance. Yes, it is unusual for a girl who comes from blonde parents to have unnaturally dark hair, it is another thing to have green eyes to go along with that dark hair. Both my parents were blue eyed. People used to say it was the devils mark on me.

When my father died, I wasn't surprised. He had always taken risks, in business and in life. One of those risks had finally caught up to him. I was to be left nothing, apparently he had a string of debts to pay. The only thing I got was a book about the place I was to live in, Moonacre Valley. With an uncle I had never met.

The funeral was annoying. My current nanny, Ms. Heliotrope, had forced me to wear a black dress that pinched me everywhere. The only people that were there were the ones my dad owed money to. They didn't care about him. I'm not sure I did either.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" The priest was blessing my father a safe passage to heaven. I had heard it before, with my mother. Her grave was right next to his, and mine would be next to theirs when I died.

Ms. Heliotrope patted me on the back, signaling for me to drop the roses. One for my father, on his coffin, and one for my mother at her gravestone. My family was truly gone.

I looked up sharply. I had the sense that someone was watching me. Looking around, my eyes rested on a boy standing in the gazebo off to our right. All he was doing was staring at me. He was wearing all black clothing, a coat with lots of buckles and shiny bits stood out, he had a black bowler hat covering his hair and the strangest thing about him, his nose was covered with a piece of black cloth. This boy did not want to be discovered.

I turned back, not wanting to look at him any longer. This boy was clearly freakier than me. The service soon ended, and we all went home, except for me. I said goodbye to Ms. Heliotrope, grabbed the bag I always carried with me from her, and turned to the carriage boy.

"You'll be Miss Ella Merryweather then?" He asked, motioning to take my bag I shook my head.

"No, I am Lillian Merryweather. Ella is my middle name. Who might you be?" I tried to be polite. The chauffeur smiled at me as I climbed into the carriage.

"Digweed." With that he shut the door. Digweed, what an awful name. I took one final look out the window, my eyes glancing over to the gazebo. The boy had vanished, almost as if he had never been there in the first place. He had left behind a feather on the ground, and I knew it was purposeful. He was telling me he wasn't a figure of my imagination. Or it could have been accidental, but someone wearing that kind of face mask wouldn't have been so careless.

The carriage moved off, and I smiled and waved goodbye to Ms. Heliotrope. Then I closed the curtains and changed. Off came the awful dress and shoes. I stuck the clothes under the seat cushion and pulled out my real clothes. Changing into comfortable clothing - pantaloons, a peasant top and boots - was heaven.

After that, I reopened the curtains to find we were in the country. Trees and farms went on for miles, and the air was fresh. It would be nice, under normal circumstances. I forced myself to look away, and my eyes fell on the book my father had given me. No point in reading it, but I needed something to do on this ride.

I sighed, my brain battling itself. Finally one side gave in. I opened the book and began reading.

_Once upon a perfect time, many hundreds of years ago, when the old magic still clung to Moonacre Valley, there was a young woman whose skin gleamed as pale as a star and whose heart was a pure as moonlight. Such was her bravery and goodness, she was beloved by Nature as if she were its own daughter._

_One fateful night, the moon blessed her with an extraordinary gift, one that would change the magic of the valley forever. The moon pearls. From that day forward, she was known as the Moon Princess._

_ Two ancient families lived at the edge of the valley, sharing nature's bounty. Daughter of the Du Noir clan, the Moon Princess fell deeply in love as was to be married to Sir Wrolf Merryweather. Her father, Sir William Du Noir, blessed the union by giving the couple a rare black lion._

_ In turn, Sir Wrolf gave his bride a unicorn, lured from the wild white horses of the sea. Her heart overflowing with happiness, the Moon Princess revealed the magical pearls to both families. Legend told of their unique power, so strong the pearls would grant every wish, both good and evil._

I shut the book with a start. It was a children's book about a fantasy land! How old had my father thought me to be? It was a children's book and I didn't need a children's book. I shoved it back into my bag, pulling out my sketchbook instead. I flipped to a clean page, and let my hands draw something. I would let my mind wander.

My mind did wander, to places I would rather not go to. It mixed the story in the children's book with reality, creating a nightmare I didn't want to ever go through. Abruptly, I shook off the daydream and looked down at my drawing. I gasped.

On the sketchpad was the face of the gazebo boy, in much more detail that I remembered. His eyes looked like they were caked in black powder, giving him a deathly edge. Under his jacket collar, there looked to be feathers. Definitely something I had not noticed.

"Nice drawing," A voice came out of nowhere. I was losing my mind, becoming the freak everyone said I was.

"Whose there?" I whispered, not wanting to know the answer. My body had tensed up, I was on guard mode now.

"Look out your window," The voice seemed to roll its eyes, mocking my stupidity. If the owner of the voice had been me, he would have reacted the same way.

I turned my face toward my window and moved to the other side of the carriage. No one was outside.

"Which window?" I asked, not sure of my imagination.

"The third window," Was my only reply. Suddenly, voices swirled around me, faces appearing in the carriage. The boy at the gazebo, my father, my mother, Ms. Heliotrope, all the faces blended together, my head feeling like it was going to explode, memories I didn't want to remember resurfacing, no, not the… not the…

I woke with a start. My hand still holding the pencil I had been drawing with. It was getting worse, if I couldn't tell my dreams from reality. I looked down at the sketchbook and almost screamed. The drawing was exactly the same as the one in my dream, with one small difference. Written in neat letters, that weren't my own handwriting, was one word, ROBIN.

I flipped the page, not wanting to ask questions I didn't know the answers to. I took the pencil back in my hand and decided to draw my mother, the way I remembered her. I closed my eyes, and drew.

Halfway through the drawing, the carriage stopped. I snapped the sketchbook shut and tossed it into my bag along with the pencil. We must have arrived at Moonacre.

One look outside told me I was wrong. We were at a large gate, larger than any I had ever seen. It was white, or grey, and towered over the trees. Whatever Moonacre wanted out probably stayed out.

"Well, if it isn't the princess," The carriage door opened behind me to reveal more people, this time men, with the fabric covering their noses.

"What do you want?" I sneered, trying not to convey how terrified I actually was.

"You," A voice spoke in my ear. I turned to find the boy from the gazebo, the one my brain had called Robin. I moved backwards, but he grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at his face.

"You're coming with us princess, my father is just _dying_ to make your acquaintance," He said it in a posh way, and the look he gave me made my blood boil. Something told me that I would be the one dying if they got their way.

"Not likely," I sneered back at him, then I punched. One of my nannies had told me it was unladylike to punch, but I hadn't listened to her. Clearly this guy had taken that to heart.

"You little witch!" He cried, letting go of my arm to grab his face. In his eyes I saw murder. Before I could react, people grabbed me from behind. Of course, his goons.

"We got her Robin," One shouted. So his name really was Robin. They pulled me out of the carriage and shoved me against the stone wall. Digweed was nowhere in sight. Robin came from the other side of the carriage, holding my bag.

"Let's see what we have in here." He smiled, looking through the bag. Two of his goons held my arms at my sides, but that didn't mean that I gave up. I struggled as he searched, wanting to punch him for invading my bag.

"What's this?" Robin pulled out my sketchbook, "Drawings?" He smiled at me again, and I fought harder. My sketchbook, my private life, my thoughts, he had no place in them.

"None, of your business!" I spat. I wrenched my arms free, elbowed both goons in the temples and they fell to the ground. I then turned and tackled Robin, grabbing for the sketchbook and the bag. We tumbled in the road until I had what I wanted. I heard the sound of horses, and saw Digweed leaving without me.

I ran, Robin and his last goon chasing after me. The gat was closing from the top. I slid, holding the bag and the sketchbook close to me. I just made it when the gate clanged behind me. I got up and turned around.

"Witch!" Robin's face mask had been pulled down in the fight, revealing a surprisingly good looking face. My sketchbook fell from my hands and opened in the road. It opened to the page of the pearls I had drawn one day. I quickly snatched it back up, but not before Robin had seen the drawing. I began walking away. Robin let out a tortured yell and beat the gate.

The carriage had stopped a few yards away from the gate, as if waiting for me. Digweed opened the door as I climbed in. I looked back at the gate. Robin and his goons were nowhere in sight. It chilled me to think of where they might be.

"What will happen now?" I asked myself, "Who were they?" I knew one thing for certain, I could not tell my uncle. He might think I was a freak as well, and then there's no telling what might happen. No, I needed to keep this a secret, for now.

_**Well, there you have it. This is my first fanfic on The Secret of Moonacre, so if the characters act or react differently please let me know. I love reading review, so if theirs anything you think could change or add to the story, please let me know. I deleted Miss Heliotrope because her character always aggravated me to no end, and because I wouldn't know how to work with it. **_

_**Lillian Ella Merryweather is my own creation, and I do not own any other characters. Some events are my own creation, but the storyline and most events are not. **_


	2. Welcome to Moonacre

_**Hello! What did you guys think of the first chapter? I don't like going along with the story that's set up mainly because it's hard to think of reasons for two different characters to do the exact same things all the time. Here's the next chapter…**_

The carriage pulled up to a mansion. The sun was setting, sending pinks, purples and oranges across the sky. Digweed hadn't said a word to me, and I had been thinking of multiple excuses if he brought up the fact of my almost kidnapping.

The carriage stopping, I slung my bag over my shoulder and waited for Digweed to open the door. As soon as he did, I was out of the carriage, glad to be in an open space again. I checked my clothing and found nothing wrong. The pants fitted me quite nicely and they were so much better than the awful dresses women had to wear.

I took a look at the mansion. It was beautifully constructed, but it was falling apart. Its beauty had long faded, leaving a half-life that just barely cut it. Sad really, in a place as vibrant as Moonacre. The ride through the hills had left me thinking it might not be so bad to live here.

"Welcome to Moonacre," A voice accompanied by the sound of footsteps down the stairway leading to the foyer. The voice and footsteps were soon accompanied by a face that was undoubtedly similar to my fathers. This must be my uncle.

"I am happy to be here," I replied. The country seemed like a nice place, and this was a beautiful estate.

"Unfortunate circumstances I'm afraid," My uncle didn't seem sad by my father's death, but more like wistful. As if he had never gotten to say goodbye, but it didn't bother him.

"I'm afraid so," I said in a small voice. My uncle seemed to fill up an entire room, leaving no space for myself.

"Well," I almost thought he was going to say something kind to me, I guess the apple never falls fare from the tree, "nothing to be done now. Come along Lillian." He turned and I scurried after him, up the steps into the foyer.

When we reached the foyer, I stopped. Sitting on a rug in front of the hearth was the biggest dog I had ever seen. Black as night, with eyes that shone, taller than the wheels on the carriage when he sits. He was adorable.

"His name is Wrolf." My uncle, I think his name was Sir Benjamin, told me. Wrolf, what an adorable name. "There are some who find him alarming, but you're a Merryweather. He very probably won't harm you." As if I'm worried about that. He looks adorable. Wrolf barks, and I go over to pet him.

"He's adorable uncle." I smile, the first one in a long time. I guess this place is better than no place at all.

"Well, let's get on with it. You need to get to your room," He tugs me up and were off down another corridor. "And out of my hair." Uncle whispers, thinking I can't hear him. I guess brothers act like brothers. Did he already think badly of me?

"Where is my room exactly, uncle?" I prod after turning another corner. He doesn't answer, but I see that his muscles tense up. He must really not like me, or talking in general.

"Up these steps." He finally says as we reach tower steps. I walk up with him behind me. We reach a landing with gas lamps and a small door in one wall. "Enter here." He points at the door.

"Thank you-" I turn, but's he already off, down the stairs. Rude much!

I open the door cautiously and step into the room. It's circular, no windows, a fireplace in one corner and beautiful walls. They were painted with scenes of fall. Trees mostly, changing colors. It was truly remarkable work. Maybe I could copy it down in my sketchbook. The rest of the room was nice, the bed especially. The ceiling was coned and the cone was patterned with stars, supposedly so one would think they were staring at the night sky. Ingenious.

My trunk was already in the room, how it got there I didn't know, so I changed for bed. Off came my pants and shirt, on came the only dress I would wear, a nightgown. After changing, I took out the book and set it on the desk in the room. Tomorrow, I would give it to Sir Benjamin, I had no use for it.

I took out my sketchbook and began drawing again. Scenes of fantasy swirled in my mind, so I chose a unicorn. Sketching until I grew tired, I let my mind relax. Something not very smart for a person like me, but the day had been adventurous. When I had had enough, the sketchbook was closed and I settled down for a peaceful sleep. Oh how wrong I was.

_I was in the forest, walking down a path. It was nighttime, and silent. All of a sudden, voices erupted all around me, forcing me into a run. I sprinted down the path and then I was off the path, running through the wilderness._

_ Something hit me in the head, and I felt hands holding me. The voices swirled around me, taunting me._

_ "You, Princess, You are dying…." Robin taunted_

_ "Freak! You will never be respectable!" Another nanny screeched_

_ "The curse will never be broken," Robin continued_

_ "You will die alone!" The nanny attacked, enveloping me in her spirit. I screamed, the pain I was feeling was too much._

_ "You have failed your only purpose," Robin appeared in front of me, dagger against my throat, face inches from mine, "You are nothing now, freak!" He hissed. The blade pressed into my neck, spilling scarlet drops all over the forest floor. Everything cut to black._

I woke up in a cold sweat. My body was aching and my mind was racing. I needed to draw something, anything from that dream to remember. I grabbed my sketchbook and began with the first thing I remembered, Robin's dagger.

I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually I got the dagger down. All around it, I wrote the words I remembered. Some of it was from memory, my mind putting together Princess, dying and you from what Robin had said to me in the carriage, but some was a little farfetched. Who had ever heard of a curse that I was supposed to break? Where had that come from?

I put it out of my mind and checked the time on the clock in the room. It was still early, but I decided a look around the estate would be a good idea before breakfast. I changed into a green top, brown pants and boots. Men's clothing would be best for exploring.

I opened the door and gasped. On the wall across from the room door was a painting that hadn't been there before. The lady was beautiful and she almost seemed to move. Yes, the painting was that realistic. She bore a striking resemblance to the woman in the storybook, though I doubted they had been the same people. Maybe I could draw her sometime…

No, don't think about that now. Explore first, draw later. I needed to find out all I could about Moonacre and the manor. Curiosity killed the cat only because the cat wasn't observant. I am observant.

I came down the tower stairs and turned the corner. Walking a little way's down the hallway, I came to the foyer. I didn't remember the walk being as long the night before, but I guess I was just too tired.

I bumped into my uncle as I rounded the corner to where we entered the house the night before.

"Oh, sorry." I said out of politeness. He just stared at me.

"The breakfast room is through here." He pointed in the opposite direction I was going in. Turning, I found myself staring at a dining hall, the table set up with food of all kinds. Digweed was placing the silverware on two seats.

"Oh, well, I was going to go exploring." I tried to get past him. He put a hand on my shoulder thoroughly and steered me toward breakfast.

"No, not yet. I have rules, and you need to hear them before you go out and about." Well, he was certainly a charmer. And what rules? Don't go into the library because it's all catalogued nicely and I don't want your stupid-ness to mess it up? My study is off limits to people shorter than 6 feet? I wasn't really liking this 'rule' thing.

"What rules?" I know I sounded vain, but I didn't care. He probably already thought of me as a freak.

"The rules everyone at Moonacre must abide by." Uncle said as he sat down. We helped ourselves to food in silence.

"Lillian, have you ever ridden a horse?" Uncle asked abruptly. I thought about it for a moment.

"No, I don't believe I have," I replied, looking down at me food and digging in. Ms. Heliotrope would have been appalled at my manners.

"What?" Uncle suddenly became enraged, "Why not. Every Merryweather, female and male, has learned to ride. Why didn't your father teach you?" I stopped eating, anger bubbling up inside of me.

"Maybe because he didn't care about me!" I screamed, "He was never home long enough to care, and he never took any interest in what I did!" I grabbed my plate and ran out of the dining hall. I sat on the stone steps leading up to the foyer and ate by myself.

I was still mad when I finished my plate. The calming techniques I usually used weren't working. Still, being out in the open air refreshed me. Soon enough, I calmed down by just breathing, no technique needed. I guess they only work in big cities.

"Lillian, please forgive me." Uncle was back.

"Why should I?" I asked, the anger coming back. Why couldn't I be left in peace?

"I didn't know. It's just, I thought you knew how to ride. You ought to know how to ride. Maybe we can do that today, since you have no nursemaid to work with you." Ah, so he had caught on to that.

"That would be nice," I said politely. Truthfully, I wanted to ride, but not with him. He set my internal radar off and I knew my uncle would bring me trouble. But I wanted to ride, and I guessed it was a packaged deal.

"Okay, come along. I'll get Digweed to clean up your plate." I stood up, ignoring Uncle's hand and walked up the steps. From there, Uncle took over, leading me through the rooms to the back. We reached the end of the house, and waiting for us was Digweed with 2 horses. How Digweed had gotten through the house before us I didn't know, but I was glad he was holding the horses for us.

"Ah, Lillian, this is Periwinkle. She will be your mount as long as you are at Moonacre." Uncle swung up on his horse, a huge chestnut with white stockings, as I looked toward my horse. She was small and fat and grey. She had little specks coating her, and at first I thought they were dirt. I soon realized that it was part of her coat.

"Ms. Merryweather, there you go." Digweed helped me get into the seat, and I was flawless. My first time riding a horse and it was a nearly perfect mount. Wait, where did I learn all these words from? Mount, stockings, coat, chestnut? I didn't know a single horse term, but here I was, spouting out these lines like I had been in the saddle my entire life. Funny how some things are meant to be.

"Lillian, are you ready?" Uncle asked. I nodded and we were off.

Uncle had taught me everything there was to know about riding, and I had picked it up instantly. I was a born horsewoman, and we spent the morning riding through the little village that Moonacre was next to. All of the people smiled at me, and I didn't feel like an outsider, the way I had in London. Maybe coming to Moonacre hadn't been such a bad thing.

"Lillian, are you listening to me?" Uncle's angered voice interrupted my thoughts. He had been talking about the rules of Moonacre while we were riding back to the house. I had tuned him out. Rules bored me, and I never ended up following them anyway.

"Of course, Uncle." I replied, trying to look engaged.

"Okay, but I haven't given you the most important rule." He continued. I looked around and noticed we were walking along the edge of the wood. It smelled nice in there, and I almost wanted to take a look.

"You must never set foot in the forest." Uncle looked at me, grabbed my arm and stopped the horses, "Did you hear me Lillian?" He asked, squeezing my arm until I looked at him.

"Yes, I did. Ow, stop it. It's hurting." I protested.

"What's the most important rule?" He asked, not giving my arm up.

"Never, never go into the forest." I replied, giving him a glare. He let go of my arm.

"Good, not come along." He looked like he didn't want anything more to do with me. I had an idea to get me out of his hair.

"Uncle, could I stay out more?" I asked. He looked at me sharply, "I promise I'll stay out of the wood. I've just never seen anything like this place, and I want to get to know it better." He was considering the idea, I could see it in his face.

"Okay, but be back before supper." Was his final answer. Then he kicked his horse and was off. I continued at a slow pace, constantly looking at the forest next to me. Finally, my inner curiosity gave in and I hopped off Periwinkle.

"What's so scary about the big bad woods anyway?"

_**So, what do you think? The storyline isn't exactly like the movie, but I hate the fluffy stuff in between action scenes, plus I think the story could do with some more of Robin and his gang. The stuff between Sir Benjamin and Lillian is part of the movie and part of the books. I recently read them, and I think the duel personality is nice. Tell me what you think though. Also, the ending is setting up for the next chapter. Robin and Lillian meet one to one. This next part will just be the two, none of Robin's gang. Well, until next time, LIVE LONG AND PROSPER! **___

_**-Ella**_


	3. The Big Bad Forest

_**Heyo! This is the next chapter that I promised you guys. Lillian and Robin meet face to face and it sets up her attitude toward the De Noirs. Also, Sir Benjamin is going through a gradual personality change in the next few chapters. I realized that the nice Sir Benjamin doesn't fit with the ending after all, so I'm changing him. Anyway, enough of my rambling, on with the story:**_

* * *

As soon as I left the bright sunlight, I found out why uncle didn't want me in the big bad forest. The midday sunlight, which usually was everywhere, couldn't penetrate the think canopy. No birds called out, so the silence was deafening. As I walked further and further, I kept getting the sense that someone was watching me. Yes, the forest was a spooky place.

"I know you're there." I called out, stopping next to a large tree. I had heard a sound that could only be described as one that a person makes when they are trying not to be heard. Putting two and two together, I knew someone was following me. Probably the boy, Robin, from the carriage ride yesterday.

"For someone who has spent a life in the city, you have a natural talent in the forest." There was his snarky voice, high pitched and whining. I doubted he was giving me a compliment.

"I'm not like most girls, Robin." I turned to find him standing a few feet away from me, one hand on his ever present dagger. A necklace of bird feathers adorned his neck. I noticed one was missing, probably still lying in the gazebo.

"No, Princess, you're not." Pulling out his knife, he shoved me against the tree. The knife was immediately at my throat before I could protest.

"What are you going to do now, kill me?" Ha, that would be a thought.

"I could kill you, but I need answers first." Did he want me to answer the age old question 'why are we here' or something?

"Answers to what?" His face twisted.

"Where did you get the sketches?" What, my sketches? Why did he want to know about my sketches?

"Why do you want to know?" Okay, that was probably going over the line, but I don't answer to people who hold knives up to my throat.

"I can kill you right now and no one would know or ever find the body." Was he threatening me?

"You kill me and you never get your answer." I spat back. I was definitely over the line now.

"I don't have to know, and killing you would solve more problems than create. Just tell me or I will kill you." Robin seemed completely hate filled. The knife dug deeper into my neck, and for the first time I actually felt scared of something. No was in HELL was I scared of a boy with a knife! So why was I?

"Fine, I'll tell you," I faked giving in. The only way I was going to win was if I played this exactly right.

"Okay, so tell me." He loosened the knife. Now things were going my way.

"Lean in closer," I asked. He leaned in, and I pretended to lean closer to his ear. He leaned in closer still, until we were inches apart. Then, I attacked.

I head-butted him, and the knife came away instantly. I made a grab for it, but it moved fast, slashing my arm. In a whirl, I kicked Robin in the stomach, shoved him and punched him across the face. He fell down, and I took the knife.

"You little witch!" Ouch, I hadn't heard witch before. Robin lunged, tackling me and pinning me to the ground. My arm still hurt, and I could see blood stains on my shirt sleeve. I kicked him in the leg and pushed him off of me. We tumbled and I soon had his knife against his neck.

"What do you have planned now?" I asked, smiling. He grabbed my hand, and without thinking I let go of the knife. STUPID ME! Robin lunged and pinned me down, the knife against my throat again.

"Bad move princess. Now my father is coming, and if I don't kill you he will." Robin sneered. His face was inches above mine, and being so close to him made me want to vomit.

"No, I don't doubt that. I do, however, doubt your ability to kill me, or watch as your father kills me." Robin seemed like a big coward, hiding behind an iron façade. He was in no way prepared to kill me, or watch me die. It just wasn't him on the inside.

"Why, you little witch!" Was he just going to call me princess and witch? Nothing else? Robin raised the dagger high, and just as he was about to bring it down, something black knocked him out of the way. The huge black shape attacked him again. Robin rolled and I shut my eyes, afraid of the beast. Soon, I felt a sandpapery tongue against my cheek. Wrolf! He had followed me!

Robin lunged at me again. Seeing the dog, he paled. Robin stuck the knife back in his belt and turned.

"Stay out of the woods if you know what's good for you, princess." Then Robin vanished into the darkness.

As soon as he was gone, I knelt down in front of Wrolf. I hugged him for the longest time, just thinking about how grateful I was to have him. I would probably be dead now, if it weren't for him. He licked my arm, and the adrenaline in my body started dissipating.

"Oh, ow," I looked at my arm. The cut was long and shallow, but it was bleeding out. Blood already soaked my sleeve, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hide my adventure from Sir Benjamin.

I looked around. The feeling of being watched again had passed over me, and I didn't know what to make of it this time. I stood up, Wrolf at my heels.

"Let's go Wrolf." I walked with him at my side. As always, my natural sense of direction told me how to get out. As we exited the forest, I got a bad feeling in my stomach. Something told me Sir Benjamin wouldn't be happy about me being in the woods.

_Robin's POV_

She was different. Most girls would have been scared to have a knife put to their throat, but not Lillian. She had embraced it, almost like she wanted to die. She had fought me, and wearing men's clothing helped with my already freaky image of her.

I watched her leave the forest, that demon dog at her heels. He was feared by all De Noir people, but for some reason, I admired him. He was huge and black and he hunted in the forest. He was strong and loyal and had values much like the De Noir's did. He was almost the same as us.

One thing was bothering me about meeting the next princess. How had she been able to tell I wouldn't kill her? How had she known I was different from the De Noir's when I was alone? With my posse, sure I'll kill her. Alone, not a chance. How had she seen that?

I guess Lillian Merryweather is someone I will have to get to know, before she dies. It was inevitable. She will either be dead in a month, or driven away from the estate. Judging by her personality, death seemed like the obvious answer, no way was she going to run. Yes, I would have to get to know her pretty well in a month, pretty well indeed.

Lillian's POV

I was right. As soon as I entered, he appeared. Seeing the blood on my arm, and Wrolf at my side, his wall went up. So much for the nice uncle who had taken me riding that morning.

"I told you to stay out of the woods!" Uncle yelled, "And what did you do, go stomping around in there."

"Who were those people? In the woods?" I tried to change the subject.

"They are a band of ruffians, called the De Noir clan." Uncle had bought it, "And if you insist on walking around in there, make sure you take Wrolf with you always." Wait, was he allowing me.

"That means I can go back, right?" I asked almost too hopefully.

"I have heard a great deal about your fighting ability. I know you can protect yourself, and having you wander around the woods keeps you out of my hair. Just make sure Wrolf is with you at all times." Uncle looked down at me. I shrunk under his gaze. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, Uncle," I murmured. He made me feel inferior every time he spoke to me.

"Go upstairs and dress that cut. Also change into something more appropriate for supper. I will not have you wearing men's clothing at the table." I nodded and scrambled for my room.

I quickly scrubbed the wound clean and assessed it. It was long, like I had suspected, but it was deeper than I had anticipated. I wound a strip of cloth around my arm and tied it. The throbbing lessoned, so I guess the wound was closing.

"Now for a dress." I thought out loud, looking for one in my trunk. This was the part I wasn't too happy about. I had never been one to wear dresses, and my uncle forcing me to wear one for dinner pretty much set me off.

I finally found a green dress in the bottom of my trunk. Trust Ms. Heliotrope to plan ahead. I put it on and grimaced at the comfortableness. I looked in the mirror and took my hair out of the braid it was always in. My hair fell around my head in a wave, and I looked almost like a girl. I grabbed the Moonacre Chronicles, so I could give it to my uncle and be done with it.

When I found uncle next, he was waiting for me in the foyer. He looked me once over, then his face hardened as he recognized the book.

"Where did you get this?" He was in front of me now

"Oh, papa gave it to me in his will." I stated truthfully. His anger intensified.

"Well, he had no right to. Give it here, NOW!" He roared and I quickly handed over the book. "Supper is through here" He pointed at a door to the right. I looked through it, and then back at him. Uncle was gone, and a door to my right banged shut.

"Okay, I will go eat by myself." And I did. Uncle never returned from the mysterious place he had rushed off to, and I didn't think to wait for him. Come to think of it, no one was around. Not even Wrolf, who had followed me to my door when I had gone to change.

It bothered me to no extent. No one was around, and the silence was eerie. I left my plate and utensils at the table after I had finished, not daring to go and find where they were supposed to go for washing. I walked around the mansion after that, looking at all the paintings and architecture. I finally realized the layout after passing the same portrait twice.

I found my way to the backyard of the house, which bordered the woods. Sitting down on a bench, I breathed in the smell of the forest, and I wished that I was out there again, despite the annoying prick that seemed to have it out for me.

"You know, I think you look better in pants." A voice came from the shadows. I didn't jump, but I was surprised he had spoken at all. Why not kill me silently.

"I would take that as a compliment from anyone but you, Robin." I shot back, clenching my jaw.

"And I'll take that as a compliment." God, he was annoying.

"Why are you here?" I just wanted him to leave and be done with everything.

"To warn you. My family are not as kind as I am, and you would do well to heed my warning." If he was kind, I'd hate to see harsh. "Stay out of the forest."

"Why do you suddenly care?" Why did he care? Why not kill me right now?

"Because you seem more De Noir than Merryweather. You have dark hair, De Noir eyes and a De Noir personality. That makes me respect you." Not the answer I was expecting. Did that mean that he was watching out for me?

"Robin," I turned and found him running off, back into his deep, dark forest. One thing was for sure, I wouldn't let him scare me away from the woods, even if he was trying to be kind. No, Robin De Noir would not scare me away from the only thing that I loved more than the house. I would be back in the woods tomorrow, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

* * *

_**Well, there's another chapter for you. I might update slower than usual because we have a bunch of projects due soon, and I have to work on them. So, please review with your thoughts and concerns and ideas about upcoming chapters, I love hearing about what you guys want to happen. Did you like the Robin Lillian action there at the end? As I was writing their meeting, I realized how Lillian was similar to the De Noir's, so I added it into the story. Also, who likes Robin's POV? I hope it was okay, I was just trying to give you guys a better idea of what goes on in his head. **_

_**As always, LIVE LONG AND PROSPER! **_

_**-Ella**_


	4. How's the Head?

_**So, here the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I like doing Robin's POV in only thoughts, since we already saw the entire sequence with the actions and words in Lillian's POV, so it's no needed in his. Also, I'd like to thank a guest for the suggestion of an Augustus Prew / Dakota Blue Richards one shot. Please tell me if you want it or not. If yes, I'll probably finish it by next week. Enjoy the chapter.**_

After Robin left, I went up to bed. Nothing to do here anyway, uncle was nowhere to be found, as with anyone else. It was like they vanished after the sun went down. Changing out of the horrible green dress, I snuggled under the covers and fell asleep.

_I was running in the woods, in a white dress that trailed behind me and didn't ever dirty or catch on something. I didn't know what I was running from, but I knew it was bad. Suddenly, something grabbed my arm, jerking me to the side._

"_Princess, it's only me." Robin's laugh came as I looked up at him. He held me against the tree with one arm, his dagger in the other. We waited for whatever had been chasing me to appear. I seemed to trust Robin to help me, instead of turn and kill me. I heard stumbling and tugged at Robin's sleeve._

"_Robin," I whispered._

"_I heard it Lillian, I know." Robin eased my mind a little. As the thing came at us, Robin swung. The gigantic black thing turned and I saw that it was Wrolf. I almost cried with joy, until I saw his eyes. They were blood red. He tried to attack us again, and I pushed Robin to one side as I went the other way. Wrolf came after me with ferocity, almost as if I were a De Noir._

_Robin raised the knife behind Wrolf, and I screamed as he flung it. It hit Wrolf in the head, and the massive dog went down, dead. All I could think was 'He tried to kill me. Wrolf tried to kill me!'_

I woke with a start. Wow, my dreams are just amazing at Moonacre. First one about how the curse will never be broken, and now one where I trusted Robin De Noir with my life, oh, what was my mind coming to?

I changed in silence and grabbed my bag. If I was going to go around the forest, I needed something to keep me safe, and I could no longer trust Wrolf. Not after him trying to kill me in my dreams. Ugggggg, life was confusing sometimes.

I looked toward the door and nearly had a heart attack. Sitting on the chair by the door was a dress, laid out to look exactly like a person sitting down. It was a deep red color, and I was sure it would feel awful. It looked older than the dresses that woman usually wore today, but I didn't want to take that chance.

There was an apple sitting on a table on the other side of the door that I grabbed. Heading out, I took a few minutes to sketch the woman in the painting like I had planned, just doing a rough outline before heading downstairs. I found a window, and saw that the sun was just peeking out from behind the trees of the west forest. I knew uncle could not be up yet, so I had some time before breakfast. I could go into the forest again.

I grabbed a knife from the dining room and stuck it in my bag. If Robin had his posse with him today, I was going to need more protection than just my fists. That would be for certain.

Heading out, I stuck to the shadows before entering the forest, just in case Digweed was around to stop me. As soon as the scent of the forest hit my nose, I relaxed a little. I was in my home element, even though I had never been in a forest until yesterday.

Wandering around, I got my bearings. I tried to make little to no noise while I was walking, but it didn't always go well for me. Soon, I heard another person's footsteps and I hid behind a tree. It was Robin and his gang, apparently they were all right.

"What are we doing out here, Robin?" One asked, clearly annoyed.

"I told you, I need to get away from my father." Robin replied.

"There has go to be another reason, maybe one involving our favorite Merryweather girl?" Another piped up. I noticed he was clutching his head. He must have been one of the boys trying to hold me down at the carriage ride.

"No, I don't think she'll be coming into the forest this early." Wait, was Robin protecting me. Oh, no it was the third person, not Robin.

"What makes you say that?" The voices were getting further away, but my intuition told me they were right by my tree, as if they knew I was there. How did they know? I didn't question it, and I kept quiet. I slipped my hand into my bag, grabbing the hilt if the kitchen knife for protection.

"Well, she acts like a tough puppy, but inside she's a coward. I can tell those sorts of things." Oh, I'm the coward?

"No, she'll be here. She might already be here." Oh, they knew I was here. They knew. I heard that sentence like they were whispering it right in my ear. They were right on the other side of the tree, and they were debating on how to take me out. I gripped the knife harder and waited for them to move.

"How can you be so sure Robin? You don't even know her." That's right, they don't know me. But they have met me, that's all they need to know to tell that I'll be in the forest.

"Yes, but she's a moon princess. She'll be drawn to this part of the forest. It borders the old amphitheater." What amphitheater? Is that why I was drawn to the woods, or was it just pure chance that I like the forest. What is this moon princess nonsense? Wait, was I even considering this?

"Yep, she'll be here, alright. In fact," the voice raised, and I knew they had found me, "she's already here." Then they attacked.

The two I had hit last time grabbed my arms on both sides. I kicked, but they pulled me around the tree. Robin was there, along with the 4th goon. Robin's demeanor was different from the day before. Today, he would have no problem killing me.

"Well, princess, how nice of you to join us." He smiled, and I gripped the knife tighter. I had to wait for the right moment to do any damage though.

"Nice to see you all again," I smiled, "How's the head?" I looked at one of the guys I had attacked two days before. He grimaced, and I laughed a little. The two boys holding me shoved me to the ground at Robin's feet. That's when things got weird.

"Now, what to do with you?" Robin walked around me in a circle. I tried not to focus on the tree branch falling in slow motion behind the boy holding his head.

"I don't know, maybe let me go?" I tried sarcasm. Robin just laughed. I looked up, and the branch was still falling in slow motion. Now it was reversing and starting all over again.

"Ha, wouldn't that be a thought. We were just going to set a trap for you, when we stumbled upon you instead. No trap, but we still have a trapped." He sneered, "I could just kill you now, get it over with. No mess, no fuss." Okay, now the trees were splitting open. A horrible ringing filled my ears, and I bent over.

"Robin, what's she doing?" One of the boys asked. I could feel them all staring at me. I let out a low shriek as the forest exploded around me. More ringing, even louder this time, filled my mind, and I screamed. There was nothing around me, I was floating in blackness. Footsteps thudded, and I knew I was alone. There was nothing left.

The ringing was replaced by a high pitched sound. I closed my eyes and held my knees for the longest time, willing my mind back into a normal state. I realized the high pitched sound was my own scream. I closed my mouth, and everything was silent.

I opened my eyes to find myself sitting, alone in the clearing. Robin and his gang had left, and I knew they were not watching me. I felt humiliated somehow, like it was unnerving to have a gang of ruffians around when my mind freaked out on me. Maybe I just didn't want them to know any of my weaknesses.

I stood up and brushed dirt off of my clothing. My hand was still in my bag, my fingers still wrapped around the knife. I pried my fingers off of the knife and flexed them. The muscles felt sore, like I had been in that position for a long time. I had no idea how long I'd blacked out for.

Looking through my bag, I found that something was amiss. My sketchbook was still there, but something had changed about it. I opened it and flipped through. I stopped on the page where I had drawn the moon princess that morning.

My eyes widened. The sketch had been completed. Someone had taken this out, filled in the details of the woman, and stuck it back in my bag. Who though? Robin certainly didn't have an artistic bone in his body, and I doubted he would have done it without taking the whole sketchbook back to his family. None of his gang either. That only leaves me. Did I draw it unconsciously?

I decided not to dwell on the matter. I shoved the book back into my bag and the thoughts out of my mind. Then I began heading home.

_Robin's POV_

She was a crafty little Merryweather, I'll give her that. We were just walking along, talking and trying to decide how to actually catch her. None of the others knew we had met the day before. Then, low and behold there she was, hiding behind a tree. Mind you, we didn't know she was there at first, she was very good at hiding, but we guessed when we heard her feet move. Yes, we scared her, brought her out into the clearing and taunted her, but then things got weird.

It started off subtly at first, her glancing toward a tree branch one to many times. I just thought she was either trying to distract us or she saw my father's bird up there. Then I threatened to kill her. I would have gone through with it, if not for the next event.

Lillian started frantically looking around, as if the whole forest were exploding or something. Then, she shrieked and bent over, her hands at her sides. She just sat like that. Then she turned her head toward the sky and wailed for all it was worth, building up in pitch. When it became too much to bear, we hightailed it out of there.

I stayed behind to watch. She just screamed for the longest time, eyes pointe toward the sky like she was possessed. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, she stopped. Her body seemed to shatter, and she slumped to the ground in a heap.

Whatever had happened to her was obviously her own problem. It was scary to watch it unfolding, but afterward all I could do was catch up with the gang and try to forget. Try to forget the absolute horror I felt while I watched her, try to forget the feelings that bubbled up in my stomach for her, try to forget how for a moment, just a moment, I wanted to help her.

Who was I becoming?

_**Okay, so this was a shorter chapter, sorry about that. If you have any questions about Lillian as a character, please feel free to PM me. Not everything will be revealed through the story, some stuff is implied throughout. As always, please review with anything. I only update when I finish a chapter, and I'm always looking for inspiration.**_

_**LIVE LONG AND PROSPER**_

_**-Ella :)**_


	5. Marmaduke Scarlett

_**Hey guys, sorry about the super long wait. School just got really busy all of a sudden, and I was forced to take some time off. Here is the next chapter. It's kind of a filler, but it'll get us to where we want to be. Hope you enjoy:**_

"Where have you been?" Uncle shouted as soon as I entered the house. My head was pounding from the episode in the woods. I really didn't need another lecture.

"In the woods, Wrolf was with me, like you said." I replied truthfully. There was no reason to lie; he had said I could go.

"I only said that so you wouldn't go. Don't girls these days only do something if it's off limits?" Uncle looked frazzled. Wrolf licked my fingers and padded over to the fire.

"Well, I'm not like most girls now am I?" Anger bubbled under my skin. My own uncle, accusing me of being normal!

"No, I can see that you're not. You are not allowed into the forest anymore, do you hear me." I nodded. "Now, go clean up. I'll be in the library if you want anything." Uncle left after that.

I trudged upstairs to my room a peeled off the pants and shirt. Lying on a chair was another dress. I ignored it, rummaging through my trunk for a fresh shirt. I would be out of clothing within a week at this rate.

As soon as I had finished changing, I was suddenly extremely tired. I lay down in my bed, letting the soft down comfort me. I was asleep in seconds, since there was almost no light in the room.

I had no dreams, except one that seemed more like reality. I had woken with a start and looked up to see stars falling from the painted sky on the ceiling. Where they had been was completely dark. I soon fell back to sleep, but my mind was troubled.

In the morning, I changed and found myself walking through the halls looking for something to do. There was faint music coming from somewhere, but I didn't feel like exploring that end of the house. I mainly wanted to find the kitchen.

Turning a corner, I found myself facing Wrolf. My instincts immediately went on guard; I still didn't trust him after my dream. He didn't say anything, but turned and beckoned me to follow him.

We walked down the hall, him confident in his task and me trailing behind. As we passed a mirror, I thought I was going insane again. In the mirror, Wrolf wasn't a dog but a huge black lion. I stopped, staring at the image until he passed the mirror.

My mind couldn't function, all I could see was the lion walking down the hall. I was indeed going insane. Wrolf turned the corner and I found that my legs could work again. I ran down the hall and stopped.

In front of me was a door, one of the ones you push in. I knew it was something I hadn't explored before, and I felt a calling to it, similar to the one I felt for the woods yesterday.

I leaned on the door, trying to test its weight, when it fell in. I found myself lying on the ground, surrounded by the oddest kitchen in existence. That included the chef.

"Marmaduke Scarlett, chef of all chefs." The midget motioned to the rest of the kitchen. He was closer than he had been when I first walked in, but I hadn't seen him move, "At your service, little princess." He reached out to shake hands. Before our hands met, he vanished with a pop.

"Oh," I jumped back. Looking around, I couldn't see him anywhere. I moved forward, ignoring the garden to my left. I turned my head, searching for the white cone hat that sat upon his head.

"Ahem," He coughed from the garden. I turned, intrigued by his abilities to move so fast.

"How did you do that?" I asked, walking over to the fence that separated the garden and the kitchen.

"Cut me some gerbil, will you?" He asked, picking tomato's from a plant, "Chop chop!" He stated good naturedly when he saw I wasn't moving. I looked around. I had no idea what a gerbil was. "Neither dilly nor dally," He asked again, moving away from the tomatoes for a bug urn in the centre of the garden.

"Um, I'm not quite sure what a gerbil is actually." I admitted, watching him closely. If he moved fast again, I would see it.

"Never to mind," He picked some fruits from the urn, "I'll get it." With a pop, he vanished. I knew that this must have been my imagination, my brain messing with me in a small way. He couldn't have just disappeared.

"Where are you?" I asked tentatively. I was hoping he would appear in my vision again, since it was obvious he was still in the room.

"Over here," His voice called from behind me. I turned just in time to see him climb up and down shelves, picking out items almost too fast for the human eye to see. Then he went on to mix some pots coking on the stove with the same speed. Even with my unnaturally tentative eyes, I could barely see him. It amused me to no end. I found myself laughing.

"Are you the one who leaves the milk and biscuits for me?" I asked, remembering the gingerbread I had eaten on my first night. The cookies had been delicious and I always wondered who had been leaving them for me.

"Cookies always look so sweet, always makes a healthy treat," Was his cryptic reply. He seemed like a funny fellow, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was a figment of my imagination. Something conjured up to help me go insane. "These past few days, it's all come back to me!" He laughed manically. Yep, definitely my imagination.

"What's come back to you?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer. He started cutting up vegetables by the dozen with a tremendous speed. If he wasn't my imagination I would be thoroughly surprised. He kept on laughing, and I began to laugh with him. If he was my imagination, I better be happy with it.

"Da soufflé, Castrol meringue," He laughed again, and I began to think he was slightly crazy. Leave it to my mind to create a crazy person to accompany me. "I've got my gusto back!" Scarlett stated, popping his lips. I couldn't help but smile at his eccentrics. He went on to start making something, perhaps something for our dinner or supper. I was suddenly in need of some answers, and I wanted Marmaduke to answer them.

"Mr. Scarlett, please," I started, hoping I wouldn't set off my default brain shutdown, "won't you stand still for just one minute? Surly somebody here must be able to answer my questions?" He turned, coming close to me in his funny way.

"Little princess," Scarlett breathed heavily, his arms were holding in an uncomfortable position, "a little bit of magic had come back to the valley." Wait, what? Magic? Did that actually exist? Okay, this man was either a lunatic or a figment of my imagination. I would say imagination, but he seemed so real that I did believe he was a person.

"Wait, what?" I asked him. He didn't show any emotion on his face, so I assumed he didn't care.

"You obviously haven't finished reading the book." And with that, Maramduke Scarlett vanished with a pop.

I turned 180 degrees before I found him again, slicing up a very well made pie.

"The book, my father's book?" I asked him. He moved over to a kettle that was boiling. "But I gave it to Sir Benjamin." I admitted, looking down. Scarlett moved over to me slowly, a look of pain on his face.

"Ahh," He perked up a bit, "In the library, second floor section 2, you'll find a slim volume, secret doors and private lockers. Perhaps a piece of stargazer pie while you study." He smiled and handed me a plate. With a pop, he was gone.

I guess I was going to study in the library. Oh joy.

_**Okay, I don't know when the next one will be posted, as I said school is becoming really busy, but it will happen. Also, I'm planning to have Lillian's mental problems be revealed in the next chapter, as sort of a bonding moment between Lillian and Robin. Please tell me if that's a good idea or not. The Augustus Prew and Dakota Blue Richards one-shot is being written and will be posted as soon as I can so don't worry. Hope you guys aren't mad at me for taking so long. Have an amazing week and I'll post soon, kay?**_

_**LIVE LONG AND PROSPER**_

_**-Ella**_


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